She
by Nitro CHiRAL
Summary: Roxas is a model, Axel, his manager. They have nothing more than a love/hate relationship, their personalities always clashing, constantly caught up in their own selfish desires. However, one of Roxas' dirty little secrets keeps them inevitably together
1. Try to Breathe Easy

He owned that catwalk. He always did. He strut his stuff and always managed to look elegant and carry himself with finesse. He was full of contradictions. He moved liked water, though his personality was close to that of a firecracker. He was confident. Sometimes too self confident, borderlining cockiness on most days. He had earned his title amongst the fashion world as "The Big Bad Bitch". But he didn't care. He knew how good he looked. He knew how to put on the charm and win over others with smiles and sultry glances. He knew exactly how much power he had, and damn did he use it for his own selfish gain. He was twenty years old and a few months, and his immaturity showed in a lot of ways. But when he was on the catwalk, he dropped most of that. He was two-faced to the extreme. He was an oddity in the fashion world, considering he had a lot of expression in his face and the way he moved. But the crowd ate it up. The agencies ate it up. The billboards and television screens ate him up. Every inch of his gorgeous body and big blue eyes. But one dirty little secret this blonde boy held was quite a big one. When he walked down that runway, he was not adorned in open dress shirts and tight low ridden pants. No, he was in dresses. Big, lacey, frilly dresses. To himself, when he was home alone, he was Roxas. To the outside world, he was Roxie. The beautiful girl who came out of nowhere and stole people's hearts with his devastating feminine beauty. And hell, no one knew the truth.

His heals clacked menacingly as he strutted down that slender walkway, cameras flashing. His lashes were long and makeup perfect. His lack of curves were hidden by the well made dress. Sure, he stuffed a bra to create the right effect, and God bless his manager for being so damn picky about what jobs he took no matter how high in demand he was. The voluminous skirt flared out from the bottom of his corset, hiding his straight hips. When he hit the end of the walkway, he winked flirtatiously before sliding his hands to rest about his waist, turning this way and that before spinning flawlessly on his heals and walking powerfully back the other way with a sway in his hips. It was the end of the show and he was the final prize, the one everyone was there to see. And he sure as hell knew it.

Passing beyond the curtain, he glanced about, seeing his manager. A tall guy. Lanky and way too slender, a mass of red hair atop his head in the strangest array of spikes. He wore a dress shirt and slacks, hunched over his phone with a frown. Smirking, Roxas stalked closer, his voice octaves higher than natural as he spoke. A skill he perfected over the years.

"Axel. Show's over. I want to get the hell out of here before the press is on our tail."

Axel glanced upwards, rolling his eyes and pocketing his phone. It had been one hell of a day. Catering to Roxas' every need and dealing with the bullshit from coworkers always produced a positively bright and wonderful day. Their relationship was a strange one. The only way Roxas could describe Axel was as a brooding and dark man, but someone he owed everything to. And for that, he played his cards carefully. Axel had picked him up as his client at the age of eighteen. He was promising, young and gorgeous, and though he was short for a model, everything about him sure as hell made up for it. Everything was fine and dandy until two months into their business relationship, when Axel walked into his dressing room without knocking getting a clear shot of a pair of boxers and a devastating lack of breasts. Sure enough, Axel had just about had a heart attack. But in those short two months of their partnership, Roxas had dragged in a ridiculous amount of money, and he wasn't about to give that up. Yes, Roxas was a male, and Axel was the only other person who knew. It was a damn dirty secret to keep, and more than stressful, but he held on. Their relationship was nothing other than a love-hate relationship, but they worked.

"Yes, but you should at _least_ thank the people who put on the show for having you. You need to be polite. They won't hire you again if you just run off." Axel groaned, folding his arms over his chest.

"You can call them tomorrow, say we had to run, and spew all that normal manager bullshit. It'll be fine." Roxas insisted, grabbing at the man's wrist and plucking his bag from the floor, dragging him towards the back door.

"There's a God damned dressing room. Aren't you going to change out of that ridiculous dress?" Axel grunted, tugging his arm back roughly, out of the blonde's grasp.

"Why the hell would I change into female street clothes when I am just going to change into normal clothes the minute we walk out that door? I don't need to make appearances, so let's just get the fuck out before someone finds us." Roxas insisted, pleased with himself when he saw the redhead place his face in his hands before running them through his hair, taking the lead. Pulling the keys from his pocket, Axel looked about for a moment before opening the back door and ushering Roxas out, unlocking his car and climbing into the front seat.

Roxas immediately went to the back seat and began disrobing, putting the frilly mess of a dress beside him before sliding into a hoodie and a pair of jeans, crawling into the front seat from there and pulling down the visor, beginning to remove his makeup whilst gazing into the small mirror.

"You are in a piss poor mood today. Going to get drunk?" the blonde purred as he continued to wipe about his eyes and then lips, throwing the used tissues he had brought with him to the floor by his feet.

"Maybe. But that's none of your business. You better clean that shit up, Roxas." Axel sighed, though he couldn't help but smile slightly to himself. He much preferred Roxas dressed his own gender. He had always thought he was impossibly handsome. Then again, Roxas was attractive no matter what he did, as proven by the mass media's obsession with him.

"Oooh. Angry are you? I think someone needs to get laid. Maybe that's why you're such a dick all the time." Roxas chuckled before flipping the visor back up and leaning back, getting comfortable in the seat as Axel placed the keys in the ignition and rolled over the engine, shaking his head. "If you're going drinking, take me with you."

"Maybe I'm just a dick by nature. And the answer is no. You'll be able to drink in a year anyway. If I buy you that shit, _my_ ass in on the line. I am not doing that again. I've done it so many times, I am sure my luck has run out, and it's only a matter of time before we get caught. Then there's no more understanding manager. And don't even get into that crap about how I'm replaceable. We both know better." He kept his eyes focused on the road and began to pull out of the alleyway, flipping his lights on.

"Come on, Axel. Let's just go to a hotel. Then you can order your drinks from room service and maybe I could take a few innocent sips and no one will know the difference." The blonde begged, leaning closer to the redhead in his seat and running his fingers along his arm, waiting for the man to look at him before he displayed his charming smile, looking up from underneath his lashes.

Axel turned his head to look back at the road, though this time it was much more of a glare, his willpower wavering. Roxas always got what he wanted. And damn if he didn't have a sick masochistic obsession with _giving_ him everything his heart desired. He contemplated it for a long moment. Drinking in a hotel room with Roxas before passing out in those big beds and waking up to commit to his walk of shame, in the same outfit as the day before, and his hair a mess… It sounded good.

"Fuck. Fine. But this is the last time Roxas." Axel growled, partly angry with himself for committing to that, giving in to those baby blues yet again.

"Mmm. I can tell you need a drink. So we both win." Roxas whispered softly, squeezing at his arm slightly before releasing him, getting comfortable in his seat once more with a smug and satisfied grin. Roxas, 268, Axel, 0.

Considering they were in the heart of Los Angeles, it didn't take much time to find a nice hotel. After a good ten minute drive that consisted of Roxas singing softly to himself and looking out the window whilst Axel made a few short business calls, they arrived and Axel allowed his car to be taken by valet before they walked inside, few belongings in hand, checking into a top room. Thanks to Roxas' work, and Axel's subsequent high demand amongst clientele, money was in constant flow, and small ventures like this didn't even cross their minds as far as cost.

"Ooohhh~ Very nice room." Roxas sang when they walked in. They were on the twenty-second floor and the entire far wall was a window looking over the city. The room was complete with two large beds, a spacious bathroom with a huge tub and fancy décor, a sitting area, the works. Axel had to agree with this. It was definitely one of the nicer suites they'd ever come upon in one of their strange adventures, and the idea of alcohol was looking even more delicious in such a comfortable setting. Roxas dropped his bag and flopped down onto a bed, rolling onto his stomach to watch the redhead as he grabbed the phone, waiting to dial. "What kind of drink do you want?"

"Something sweet. And whatever you're having." The blonde mused after a moment of thought, grinning wide as he watched the redhead hesitate, but not resist, punching a few numbers and ordering a nice bottle of wine and a strawberry daiquiri for the blonde. In no time at all, room service was at their door, Axel shooing him into the bathroom as he opened the door, wanting to be absolutely sure that Roxas' young face wouldn't be visible should they choose to question. The man at the door asked for Axel's signature, trying to make small talk, which wasn't very appreciated, waving off the appearance of being a complete alcoholic by making the excuse that he and his "wife" were planning a romantic evening. As if.

"Mmm. Thank you Ax." Roxas purred, slipping out from the bathroom once the front door was closed. He immediately scooped up his daiquiri and began to drink it rather quickly, not minding the slight brain freeze he got. He knew that the faster he drank it, the more trashed he would get, and that's exactly what he needed. He didn't want to take it slow and easy and barely get a buzz out of it. In no time at all, his daiquiri was finished, and he relinquished the glass on the nightstand, watching as Axel carefully drank his wine at an even pace, not very slow, but certainly not as fast as Roxas had drank his own beverage.

"Satisfied?" the redhead drawled from his place on the bed, his catlike eyes on Roxas' youthful face, bright and innocent looking despite his devious and dirty nature.

"Hnn…" Roxas hummed in thought, walking over to Axel's bed, feeling a bit of a buzz coming on from downing the drink so quickly. He was a lightweight. Short, and very thin, he could barely hold his alcohol, no matter how often he drank it. "I want some more." He concluded, taking the glass from Axel's hand without asking before downing the entire glass rather quickly. Sure that would do the trick, he refilled the glass and handed it back to Axel, only offering a smile at the redhead as he accepted the glass with an unphased look, having grown accustomed to such behavior. Leaving Axel to finish the bottle with an encouragement of "drink up", Roxas vanished into the bathroom to assure all of his makeup was off, washing his face and getting generally ready for bed.

By the time he finished what he was doing, the alcohol had come on strong, and judging by the easy smile on Axel's face, he was getting there too. Stumbling into the main room, the blonde laughed, abandoning thoughts of his bed completely and crawling onto the plush next to Axel, watching him patiently as he finished off his glass.

"How ya feelin' Axy?" the blonde purred softly beneath a slur, watching as Axel turned to face him, only smirking wider.

"Good. You sound fucked." He chuckled, observing the hazy blue eyes only a foot from his own.

"I like fucked." Roxas mewed, pulling himself onto his knees and moving closer, placing his hand on Axel's chest. "I think fucked should be happenin'."

"Roxas… You know we can't keep doing this." He groaned, though didn't resist when the blonde slid nimbly over him, wobbling slightly before settling down to straddle him.

"You know you can't resist." Roxas slurred in a sultry tone, moving down to sloppily place his mouth over the redhead's, feeling his slightly chapped lips yield beneath his.

Though the kiss was admittedly delicious, Axel made sure to pull back eventually, tilting his head away and glaring towards the window. He needed another drink. It wasn't as if the sex wasn't good. Oh, no. The few times the blonde and he had committed to a drunken fuck, it had been the best sex he'd ever had. But something about the idea irked him. He couldn't quite place his finger on the deeper reasons, but on the surface he knew it wasn't a good idea to fuck a young, gender confused, pompous client. He placed his hands upon the boy's narrow hips and, carefully as possible, pushed him off to lie beside him instead.

Roxas began to laugh loudly at the motion, sitting up and wobbling slightly, watching the redhead with mirth as he _quite quickly_ finished off the remaining half of the bottle.

"Fuck this." Roxas slurred suddenly before standing up and walking haphazardly towards his bag, dropping to his knees to pull out a pack of cigarettes, throwing one in Axel's direction. The small object thudded against the redhead's chest before it fell into his lap, and he greedily scooped it up and lit it, inhaling deeply. He had run out of cigarettes sometime before the show, and he had needed one desperately. However, that didn't stop him from glaring at the other in his growing drunken haze, the blonde distracted by trying to get the lighter work properly, succeeding in lighting the cigarette after a good twenty seconds of stumbling and laughter.

"I told you, Rox, no smoking."

"Says _you_ you fuckin' chain smoker." Roxas hissed around the cigarette between his lips, blowing smoke in Axel's direction as if to sign a sound "fuck off".

"You're a fuckin' model, Rox. Your skin and that shit needs to stay healthy."

"_God_, Axelll. I'm drunk, for fuck sake. Just let me enjoy." He snapped, stalking closer towards him before a rather annoying jingle resounded from the night stand. Cursing colourfully, Axel reached over and only swore louder when he noticed who was calling, sighing as he picked up the phone. If he didn't, the bastard would just keep calling.

"_Hey. Where the fuck are ya?"_

"I told you that I had a show today."

"_Roxie's show_?"

"The one and only."

_"You sound fucked up, yo. You trashed again?_"

"Oh shut the fuck up, it's as if you're saying you're not."

"_Am not what_?" the voice sounded amused.

"What…? Fuck, Reno, I don't know what the fuck I'm saying right now. Can't you just let me enjoy my drinking for once?"

"_Christ, fine you grumpy fuck." _The voice of his sibling, so very much like his own, broke into a small chuckle at that point, "_Give me a call tomorrow. I wanna talk about some shit with you._"

"Right, right. Okay, bye Reno." He promptly hung up, not waiting to hear the sentiment returned. His hazy eyes once more focused on the blonde that had now lazily slinked onto the bed, uncaringly letting the ashes fall from his cigarette to the floor with clumsy flicks.

"Brother?" Roxas slurred out with a rather goofy grin, blowing a lazy smoke ring, watching as the redhead sighed with a nod, slumping back against the headboard. "You're too fuckin' tense, Ax. You're drunk. We had a good show, can you enjoy yourself please? You're the biggest cockblock and buzzkill I know." The blonde whined before scooting closer, ignoring the glare Axel shot him. He had grown used to receiving such nasty glances and well as delivering them himself. Some kind of love, some kind of hate. That's all he could think. They depended so strongly on one another that the clash of their personalities tended to bring out some less kind motions.

"Com'ere." Roxas finally sighed around his cigarette, making wild 'sit up' motions with his hands, an impatient and expectant look on his features. The redhead took his time in taking another deep drag from the cigarette before sitting up to comply, looking at the other rather lamely until he realized that Roxas had intended to give him a shoulder and back rub.

What a pleasant little treat.

If there were a few words Axel would use to describe Roxas, it would be self absorbed and uncaring. The rare times the blonde would dote on him and actually _thank_ him for the hard work he did for him, and the fact that he put his ass on the line to protect Roxas' identity was always greatly appreciated.

"Ow, ow…" He winced, dropping the shoulder that was being attacked by Roxas' surprisingly strong fingers, the boy rolling his eyes. "Man up… You do have a big knot here though." He began to work at it rather harshly, gaining some sort of sick pleasure out of every time the redhead would wince, slowing down to rub circles along the older male's back once he felt the primary knots give way beneath his lithe little fingers.

"Thanks, Rox…" Axel finally whispered, feeling a slight sleepy feeling beginning to course through his veins within his drunken stupor, barely having the energy to check that their cigarettes were successfully put out and no longer smoking in the makeshift ashtray on their nightstand.

"Mmm… Want to repay me with a good fuck?" the blonde purred in a vulgar tone, knowing the enthusiasm would not be returned.

"I'm tired Roxas. And tomorrow's a big day. Get your ass to bed. Besides, you know we can't be fucking around like that."

"Why the hell not, you're your own boss. It's not like you have some sort of policy in order." He protested, though backed off, knowing he wouldn't win. Roxas rarely gave in and damn near _always_ got what he wanted. But his tipsy mind and wobbly vision made him feel okay for once with just sitting there and agreeing. But some part of the back of his mind couldn't deny that Axel was easily the best lay of his life.

"It's just… It complicates things, okay? You're still my responsibility, and I'm your boss, and this is work. So just let it go, okay? My head's hurting."

Those bright blue eyes rolled again, but Roxas grudgingly gave in, carefully stripping down to his boxers, sure to take his time in order to avoid as much tripping and wobbling as possible. "I'm sleeping next to you, though."

Axel knew he got lucky with Roxas' giving in to his boundaries, and a small part of him wondered why the _fuck_ he _didn't_ give in to sex with the blonde. But he decided to leave that thought for another day, and compromised with Roxas' demand to sleep beside him. The redhead also stripped and turned out the light, pulling back the covers.

Roxas crawled in and moaned happily at the crisp and cool feeling of the sheets on his chest and bare legs, scooting closer to rest his head upon the redhead's shoulder, feeling him give in and drape an arm over his petite frame, smirking as Axel began to question his actions. He always did. You would think he would be accustomed to Roxas' behavior by now.

"Why do you always insist on sleepin' next to me anyway?" Axel spoke around a yawn, closing his eyes.

"None of your business."

"Got a crush on me?"

"Do you like your dick?"

"…Yeah, why?"

"Don't make an idiotic suggestion like that again, or you'll have to be ready to part with it."

"Pff. Don't even fuck with me Roxas. Go the fuck to bed."

"'Night."

"Goodnight."


	2. Torture

Okay, so, obviously this is a darker story than my other one. I love the idea of developing love/hate relationships, and I can assure you this story is only going to get more ridiculous. I warn you against future drug abuse and the like, and it won't be pretty. But I won't try to depress any of you too badly! I don't really think it will be depressing or anything when you see the deeper connections and the like, but. It won't be easy.

I hope you enjoy! Thank you very much for the feedback and the watches!

x---X---x

Axel awoke with a start, jolting up out of bed and looking around quickly, sighing when he realized that what had appeared to wake him up was none other than a pillow now residing in his lap, having most likely been thrown onto his face.

"Wake your ass up. We have to get going soon." Roxas' voice suddenly sang through the room from the bathroom. The redhead rubbed at his face tiredly with a small grumble of annoyance, grudgingly slipping from the bed, that wonderful bed that served as his sanctuary for the past lovely hours, so warm and peaceful and—

"Are you up!?" the blond suddenly appeared in the door frame, looking rather grumpy. It wasn't that he had a hangover. No, Axel knew that Roxas was one of the blessed ones who _never_ got a hangover. This piss poor attitude was just his usual behavior. Especially in the mornings.

"Obviously. Jesus." Axel huffed before walking over to his bag, pulling out a brush, tending to his unruly bed head. He then tried to fix his clothing and sprayed himself with cologne, getting dressed all the same. Once he was finished, he retrieved his toothbrush and made his way into the bathroom, watching as Roxas sat frustrated in front of the mirror.

"Will you help me, please?" the blonde asked. It was a kind way to put it, but he said it in a rather angry tone, looking like he was losing his patience.

Axel raised a brow at this and looked over Roxas once he turned to face him, snorting softly. One of Roxas' weaknesses was the application of makeup. He may know how to wear a dress damn well, and do his hair in a perfect and feminine way, but he never could quite master the art of makeup. Axel however, for whatever reason (he guessed it was most likely because his previous want to be an artist), could always keep his hand steady and move it in the right directions with the right pressure without issue. He simply rolled his eyes in order to seem annoyed, finding that he had a rather hard time being genuine and humourous around the other, gripping at the boy's wrist and moving him across the bathroom.

The youth obediently kneeled on the ground before Axel, who sat upon the edge of the tub, waiting for further instruction. Axel withdrew a small makeup wipe and began to remove it for him before pulling out the liquid eyeliner. Whenever he put on Roxas' makeup for him – it had become a rather common routine – the motions were oddly intimate, but neither seemed to feel too uncomfortable, strangely enough. He cupped the side of the boy's face, gently tilting his head this way and that, murmuring soft instructions of "eyes open… close them… look up", his other hand barely resting upon the blonde's cheek bone as he applied it in steady, thin strokes. Knowing they had little time to spare and he still needed to finish getting ready, he worked quickly, adding some light eye shadow and blush, finishing with applying a soft pink – it always complimented his fair tone and blonde hair – to his full lips. Axel looked over the cherub face, drinking it in rather selfishly. Sure, his intention was to be sure nothing had smudged and all was even, but he couldn't deny that the boy was drop dead gorgeous no matter what he did. The only downfall to this was that it left Axel, admittedly, very sexually confused. But he indulged nonetheless, eyes locking with the blue ones that slowly opened. It was a rare, soft moment between the two, where they seemed oddly connected through that secret, without the typical aggression.

However, Roxas couldn't allow this to go for much longer, and his doe eyes narrowed slightly, his lips curving up into a devious smile. "You think I'm hot."

"Fuck yourself." Axel whispered back, though the usual bite in his tone wasn't as predominant as he would have liked it to be. However, he pulled back and stood, walking to the sink and placing toothpaste on the small brush. "Finish your hair and get your shit in order. We're leaving in ten, okay?"

"Yes, yes." The blonde rolled his eyes dramatically, though continued to smile in triumph as he went about fixing his hair rather expertly, throwing in a small bow to add to the illusion.

Once they were sure all was complete, and their belongings properly stowed in their bags, they left the luxurious room and checked out, retrieving Axel's car from valet. Though Axel dreaded committing to the call he had promised, he slowly pulled his phone from his pocket once he started the car, mindlessly driving to where Roxas was needed, dialing the all too familiar number.

"_There's my brother. I didn't think you would be calling back._"

"Bite me. I keep my promises. Now, what did you want to talk to me about last night?"

"_Oh yeah, about that. You and Roxie got plans today?_" Axel rolled his eyes. Of course. He and Roxas _always_ had things to do. Catering to the blonde was a full time job. He was lucky Roxas dragged in a lot of money; his busy schedule didn't allow him a single new client in the past few months, and it didn't seem like he would be taking any more in any time soon.

"Yeah. We're on our way to a photo shoot. It'll be a couple of hours."

"_Alright. Let's go for a drink after. You can bring Roxie, I have a few things to discuss, business wise_."

"Right, right." Axel couldn't decide if he liked when he brother was this serious, or care free more. Nonetheless, he knew that when Reno got serious, it was for good reason, and he shouldn't decline.

"_Alright. I'll call you 'round eight. Then we can meet up._"

"Right. Talk to you then." Axel sighed before pulling the phone from his ear and ending the call, once more neglecting to wait for a reciprocated 'goodbye': a bad habit he had developed.

"That Reno?" Roxas suddenly cut in, looking as amused as ever. He loved teasing Axel about his brother. In fact, he loved pissing him off in any way possible, and he knew Reno was a surefire way to get under his skin.

"Yeah. We're meeting him for drinks sometime after eight."

"Mmm, drinks." Roxas sighed delightedly, stretching out in the seat, pulling down at the hem of his skirt a bit.

"Not for you. It's going to be at a bar and you are underage, my friend." He smirked. If Roxas was going to use his brother to torture him, he was going to use Roxas' illegal addictions to create an equal reaction whenever he could.

"Whatever." He grumbled in an annoyed tone, folding his arms over his padded chest. "You know, I think I'll be a stripper."

"What the fuck is wrong with you. That came out of nowhere. That won't get you nearly as much money as you're getting now, and the minute your general lack of female parts starts getting revealed, you're fucked."

"No. I'm going to do it on the side. Or prostitute. And if I don't wear the dresses and all that shit, and don't go by Roxas or Roxie, then I'll be fine." He instructed in a knowing tone, his eyes intent on the window.

"And _why_, may I ask, would you want those things?" Axel sighed. This wasn't the first time he'd heard that threat. A more caring person towards Roxas might try to talk him out of it, or try to find the underlying issue that created this desire, but the redhead could only find himself perplexed and annoyed.

"I like sex." He shrugged. As if. A part of Axel knew there were deeper reasons for that little comment, and it frustrated the hell out of him for not understanding. He even felt an odd, angry sensation in the pit of his chest at the idea of the boy fucking around with a bunch of gross old men. Who knew what would happen to him if he chose that path? But Axel kept his mouth shut, and continued to stare at the road, unwilling to ask further. Despite their closeness, they held a great distance between one another. Neither really understood the other's reasons or methods, nor many personal details other than what existed on the surface. However, neither Roxas nor Axel could bring themselves to change that.

x---X---x

"Good, Roxie, good. Lift your chin and look more to the left… Good. Part your lips… Drop your shoulders. Keep your hands there but, turn your torso to the left just a bit, like—yes. Perfect. Beautiful." The photographer continued to babble mindlessly, Roxas following every single direction.  
In all honesty, Axel rather liked this particular photographer. They had done shoots with him before and he knew and respected their particular modes of operation. They knew Roxas provided his own clothing, and didn't need to have his makeup done. In fact, this man was well on Axel's list considering he was allowed to smoke in the studio so long as he stood behind the camera and blew all the smoke out the window. And that's what Axel was doing in that very moment. He watched the streets far below with little interest, idly taking drags from his cigarette, his mind dully registering the constant sounds of flashes and more murmured compliments and instructions.

"Alright. Now, Roxie. I'm afraid we might have to cut this short. Unfortunately, the male model for the day had to cancel, and we don't have any stand-in as of yet, so." The tall blonde man sighed softly.

"Oh, no." Roxas pouted softly, assuming a more comfortable but still distinctly feminine position, his voice ever so high. Axel didn't know how he did it, but he had perfected every aspect of feminine behavior. And when he was in "Roxie mode" he never slipped up. He was a disgustingly amazing liar.

"Alright, well. I'm sorry to hear that Luxord." Axel suddenly cut in, jabbing the remains of his cigarette into an ash tray that was set out for him. He turned on his heal to face the other, reaching out to firmly shake his hand.

"Yes, yes. It really is too bad. I had so many great ideas for this. The magazine would have eaten it up, but… Well." Suddenly Luxord was looking over Axel in a rather peculiar way, refusing to release the other male's hand.

"Lux? Is everything okay…?" Axel quirked a thin brow before he felt himself being moved this way and that, Luxord's icy blue eyes scanning over him in a hawk like manner, drinking in every detail.

"Take off your shirt."

Roxas snorted, Axel looked even more perplexed. "Excuse me?" his jaw dropped slightly, his acid green eyes sending a quick warning glare to his blonde little she-male.

"Well, you see… The theme was a bad boy, considering how innocent our lovely Roxie looks. And you have edge to you. You're tall, the perfect complimentary size to Roxie for this shoot. Your hair is loud, your tattoos… Your eyes will stand out so nicely on film next to Roxie's pale colours. And obviously you look good in black. I have only _seen_ you in black, in fact, and—"

"Wait! Whoa, whoa. You want me to be _in_ the shoot with Roxie? Luxord, I appreciate it. You've become a friend to us, but I am _hardly_ a male model. I do the managing, not the other way ar—"

"Just give it a try, will you? You have the perfect look for this. And being a manager I am sure you know the ins and out of this whole process, and I am sure being Roxie's long time manager you two have a connection…" Luxord continued to push, his hand still annoyingly gripping the redhead's as if he knew he would high tail it out of there (so what if he would?).

"Luxord… I really, really don't know…" Axel tried to protest weakly one more time, feeling Luxord's firm gaze on him, slowly depleting his willpower.

"Look, we'll take a couple of shots, you can look it over. If you don't like it, we don't have to use it. Deal?"

"… God. Fine. You owe me for this one, Luxord." Axel sighed softly, finally regaining ownership of his hand and running his hands roughly through his hair.

"I'll buy you as many cigarettes as you want." Luxord smiled kindly, slapping a firm hand onto his shoulder before waving his other hand towards a small blonde girl idly sitting in the corner. "Nam, come here and get this man in his outfit, and some makeup."

"Cigarettes for LIFE! Life, Luxord! You're lucky I've put up with your shit through all these years!" Axel continued to threaten frantically as the petite blonde girl began to drag him away with a gentle hand. "I trusted you! I brought all my models to you!"

"You'll look good, Axel. Stop whining and go get yourself dolled up." Luxord smirked before turning his eyes back to Roxie, who was watching Axel go.

"Do excuse me, Luxord… but I can't miss the opportunity to watch him get his make up done."

"Don't let him live it down, love." The taller blonde grinned, Roxas only offering an amused smile before he trotted off and leaned against the doorframe, watching as the redhead frowned indignantly, Naminé placing slight amounts of pale brown beneath his eyes and adding a bit of concealer to make his lips blend with the rest of his skin before painting over his tattoos to make them more prominent.

"Naminé, how could to do this to me." Axel sighed dramatically, though he had already gotten over the idea for the most part. The blonde girl only laughed softly in amusement before offering an apologetic smile, her gentle fingers perfecting the last of his makeup. She really was talented and moved fast.

"Boss's orders." She singsonged before returning her makeup kit to the counter and pulling out a black dress shirt and tight black pants, complete with a black tie.

"Alright, Axel, you put on this. Roxie, your white dress is over there. I know you usually bring your own clothing, but Luxord insists on this dress. The dressing rooms are down that way. I will leave you both to it." Naminé then bowed her head softly before exiting the room, returning to where Luxord was waiting patiently.

Axel sighed and quickly got dressed before he helped Roxas with his own dress, zipping it up and adjusting certain aspects of it before stepping back and deciding it hid his more masculine features well enough.

"Alright. Let's do this I guess." The redhead sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, while the blonde could only smirk in a catlike manner, earning glares all the while from Axel. Once they made it back into the room, Luxord smiled and nodded in approval before quickly walking over to Axel to make adjustments, unbuttoning his shirt and leaving it to hang open completely, loosening the tie and making it look more crooked.

"Alright you two. Get over there. Axel, place your hand around her waist and pull her against you… Yes. Roxie, lean back away from him and look a bit troubled. Put your far arm over his shoulder… Tilt your head back more. Axel, lean closer, like you're towering over her… Right. Perfect." He went about taking the pictures from all angles with enthusiasm, constantly throwing out words to guide their adjustments, placing them in new poses as well.

Axel had to admit, he felt a bit uncomfortable. The poses looked so natural and _good_; he knew Luxord knew that he was doing, but he didn't imagine that keeping balance and the like in such positions felt so… difficult. Nonetheless, he tried to avoid eye contact with Roxas, though Luxord would quickly change that, feeling a bit ticked when Roxas smirked devilishly in glee at Axel's discomfort when he was told to pull him closer by his tie. Though this was completely unintentional, Luxord decided he rather liked that not so innocent gaze in comparison to Roxas' light and innocent appearance.

Overall, Axel guessed it wasn't _too_ bad. But it would be absolutely _strange_ seeing himself in those magazines beside Roxas. It lasted for an hour more once Axel was added to the mix, and he was more than glad to change into his usual clothes, smoke a cigarette, and get the _hell_ out of there.

"Thank you so much for the shoot today, Luxord." Roxas offered with a bright smile, Axel nodding all the same.

"Yes, thank you for having Roxie… And I guess… Me. But you still owe me big-time, you creep."

Luxord only chuckled loudly at this and gripped his hand onto Axel's shoulder in a friendly manner. "I don't know, Ax, you two looked damn good together. I might have to use you more often. You're a pain in the ass, but at least you aren't stuck up like the usual male models I get in here. They abhor taking direction, and it produces so few good shots. With you now, I don't know how I am going to pick which pictures to use. They're all good."

Axel rolled his eyes but finally smiled a bit before lighting a cigarette. "Thanks, Lux. I'm sure you'll be seeing us again."

x---X---x

He hated everything about the situation he was in. He hated being around his brother when Roxas was around. Roxas had the awesome ability to know exactly which buttons to push when it came to Reno, and Axel wasn't pleased to have _any_ of it. Sure, the night had started out dull. Reno was the manager of a large magazine company. An equally stressful job as his own, he would guess. And Reno stuck to his word—he had business to discuss. He wanted to strike up a new deal with 'Roxie', and had planned on doing a full spread on the blonde, complete with interview and new pictures. Axel didn't really feel much stress when it came to interviews. He knew Roxas was a good liar and wouldn't slip up on even the tiniest details. As much as he hated to compliment the blonde, Roxas was smart. _Really_ smart, and he had memorized every aspect of his imaginary life to the finest most grotesquely realistic details.

Axel gladly accepted his second (or was it third?) scotch, glaring blearily at the auburn drink as Reno chatted idly with Roxas. Axel and Reno had a strange relationship as well. When their parents had divorced at a young age, they both took different sides. Reno, five years older than Axel, had claimed that their father was in the right and pushed the fact that Axel was too young to understand, and was being an idiot siding with their mother. They had spent most of their teenage years and early twenties arguing, and only in the past couple of years had they really reconnected. Being around his brother always brought up shitty memories, but he couldn't deny the fact that he did love him. They were blood related and once upon a time, very close after all.

But with that love came protection. And seeing Roxas mindlessly flirt with Reno just to piss him off always produced the most negative gut-wrenching feelings he could imagine.

"Reno, you're so ridiculous!" a high pitched, girly laugh.

His stomach felt sick. A part of him wanted to stand up and hit him across the mouth, tell him to _shut the fuck up_ and stop talking like a woman.

Or slam his own head repeatedly into the overly-lacquered bar before him until he broke his own damn nose and died from bone shards in his frontal lobe. If only.

"I've been told that before."

_Oh shut the fuck up. You both are __**awful**__ flirts. _

Well, scratch that. Roxas _was_ a good flirt. But Axel would not allow even the smallest of compliments to enter his brain so long as it was being directed towards Roxas. Roxie. Whoever. Whatever.

_He's only a good flirt because he's easy._

Mean. But that sounded better, he decided, as he downed more of his scotch, hissing slightly to himself.

"I like your tattoos. When did you get them?" the blonde purred, reaching up to drag a lithe finger by the side of Reno's eyes.

"Oh. I actually got them when Axel got his." He smirked, working on his own vodka, becoming more and more confident as he slid an arm around Roxas' this waist.

_At least he's not getting any because he doesn't know Roxie is a Roxas. And a Roxas has a dick._

"That's so cute. A little brotherly thing?"

Great, now Roxas' arms were sliding around Reno's neck. Didn't Reno ever learn that you're not supposed to fuck around with clients? Well… Who the fuck cared if _Axel_ fucked Roxas. That was different. It just was. They knew one another better than Reno and Roxas knew each other.

"Yeah, it was. For his twenty first birthday actually. It was my present to him. He always complained he wanted those tattoos."

"How sweet of you."

He's going in for a kiss, isn't he? Yeah. They're kissing. Axel downed the rest of his drink before slamming the empty glass down obnoxiously on the countertop before standing. He _would_ make sure they knew he was still there. Well, that was his plan at least, but now they were too busy choking one another with their tongues. At least Axel had dirt on Reno one day when Roxas' secret came out. Oh how he'd _loved_ the thought of what Reno's face would look like hearing that he fucked around with a guy.

"I'll be back." Axel ground out, not even bothering to see if the two broke from their tonsil hockey to note his departure. He just needed some fresh air. And a cigarette. Oh, _definitely_ a cigarette.

x---X---x

After Axel had enjoyed his much needed cigarette and returned to the bar for a little more to drink, he noted with disgust that both Roxas and Reno were missing. He tried to console himself with the thought that nothing could be going down, considering Roxas' little gender fuck up. But God _damn_ them for leaving him hanging like he didn't even exist. Soon enough, both of them arrived from outside. Great, Reno was probably showing off his car or something completely ridiculous and cliché like that, in hope of getting in Roxas' pants. Or up Roxie's skirt. Whichever the delusional magazine manager wanted to believe.

"Alright, Roxie. It was good to see you. We'll have to do this again sometime. And Axel, I'll be seeing you too."

"You have to go?"

"Yeah, I need to sleep off this buzz and get good rest before work tomorrow."

Axel sighed and stood, begrudgingly accepting a hug from Reno as well as a loving pat on the back before the older of the siblings threw a wink at Roxas and waved, exiting the bar. For some weird reason, Axel couldn't pick who to be angrier with. He wanted to blame it all on Roxas' stupid behavior, but at the same time, he almost felt—

_No. Not jealous. Shut the fuck up you drunken brain. There's nothing to be jealous of_.

"Ready to go home?" Roxas smirked widely, linking arms with the taller redhead.

"If you mean ready to walk you to your house, and then go to my own, then yes." Axel grouched, walking out the door with him.

"Come on Axxx, let me stay with you?" the blonde begged.

"What is your obsession with having to be by my side at _all_ times? You do realize you're one helluva handful, and I would like to avoid you sometimes." The redhead sighed, exasperated, rubbing at his eyes in both frustration, and also to try to clear his slightly hazing vision.

"I just want to relax, and I don't feel like being in my apartment. And you know that my apartment is way out of the way, and you're too buzzed to drive." He offered a Cheshire Cat like grin. He had him there. It would be way more convenient to just make the five minute walk to his own apartment, rather than the fifteen extra to Roxas' and then back.

"Okay. Fine. But don't give me any shit. I already had to talk the manager into letting you in the bar even though you're underage."

"Oh, it wasn't THAT hard! He knew who I was. But I did have a good time." The blonde smiled, wrapping both arms around one of Axel's, also resting his cheek against him as well.

"Good time? Flirting with my brother?" he grumbled with an eye roll.

"Oh we did more than flirt." Roxas giggled. _Giggled_ that annoying little girly giggle he used in public. But once that comment registered in his mind, Axel stopped cold in his steps.

"What does that mean." He asked bluntly, glaring at the blonde.

"I blew him out back."

"Roxas. What. The. FUCK!"


	3. Friends

I was feeling a writing mood today, so I went for it. Aren't you all blessed! I guess the cliffhanger wasn't that suspenseful afterall, considering the result follows below!

Thank you again for your reviews, alerts, favourites, etc.! I hope you are all well.

x---X---x

"Don't CALL me that!!" Roxas hissed angrily, pinching harshly at the sensitive skin of Axel's upper arm. "You _know_ we're in public you drunken idiot!"

"I'm NOT drunk! But I also didn't just give some cheap and easy blow job to _Reno_. RENO, Roxie! Reno for God fucking _sake_. Do you have ANY idea what you're doing at _all_? Or are you _that_ stupid? As much as I think you're an _idiot_, I thought better of you!" Axel seethed and raged in a harsh whisper, stiffly jerking his arm away from Roxas, putting distance between them.

"Well why the hell is it _your_ business? Why do you care what I do and who I do it with?" Roxas ground out, though there was something akin to hurt behind his glare.

"It IS my business Roxie! And do you want to know why? Because I am your _fucking_ manager, and Reno is my _fucking_ brother! That shit should NOT be mixing in my world! And don't even play innocent with me or give me a guilt trip, Rox_ie_, because you knew damn well that was not a good move and you went for it anyway." The redhead adverted his gaze before shaking his head with an exasperated chuckle, beginning to briskly walk onward leaving the blonde to follow after him.

"Axel, wait! Where are you going?" Roxas cried out in dissatisfaction, pulling at his own hair, beginning to immediately regret his decision—something he by no means did.

"I'm going home. And you're going to your own house. I'll call tomorrow to leave you numbers." Axel said in a flat and frosty voice, continuing to walk forward without looking back.

"Numbers!? What the hell for!?" now his voice was cracking in his distress, fluctuating and diminishing from its high tone he had practiced to flawlessness.

"A few managers that might want to deal with your ass. They're good guys, they could get you where you want to go."

Roxas' eyes widened at that. Never, no matter how livid he had made Axel, had the redhead threatened to leave him. It was a shock to his system and he sucked in breath, trying to mentally deny the prickling of tears forming in the back of his eyes. In his haste to comprehend what he was being told, Roxas had stopped in his tracks. Having finally regained control he attempted to sprint forward, unwilling to let this go.

"No, no, no! Axel you can't do this to me! Please! Don't, please don't!"

Axel's brows furrowed. That tone. He'd never heard anxiety in it before like he was now. He sounded like he was having a complete panic attack. Since when did Roxas care enough about him or anything to value him as a manager? Roxas was always the one to threaten replacing him in the past. It was only when he heard a thud and a small yelp did he stop and dare to look behind him, his brows rising when he saw Roxas clutching his now broken shoe heal, looking down at his knees, now bleeding profusely.

"God _dammit_ Roxie!" Axel cried out in frustration before whipping around completely and stomping towards the blonde, kneeling down. "Those shoes were four hundred fucking dollars and you go and break them?"

Roxas gazed up at him when he said that, the strangest look twisting his features. His cheeks were beginning to grow red, as well as his eyes, one eyebrow quirking inwards slightly in confusion and what could be none other than hurt. The blonde twisted his head away and sniffed delicately, his shoulders quaking faintly.

_Alright… That was a bad thing to say. The shoe's not most important here. But God dammit, I know that I just can't… I don't want…_

"Rox… I'm sorry." Axel finally sighed. He felt a distinct blow to his pride with that apology, so distinct he swore he actually heard it. And if he wanted to beat his own face in on some random bar counter before, he _really_ wanted to now. But something about the blonde's expression really tugged at his sympathy. He'd never seen the blonde so exposed before in their years together.

Roxas shook his head, still looking away, sniffing a bit harder this time, his shoulders jerking here and there. He was obviously crying as softly as he could.

"Come here… I didn't mean that. I don't want to quit. Sometimes, the things you do though, Rox. It really tests my patience." Another sigh as he vigilantly reached out and gingerly took Roxas' shoes off of him before pulling a small cloth from his pocket (one he usually carried for Roxas when he wanted to remove or change his makeup), and began to dab at Roxas' knees. The blonde remained silently sitting on the sidewalk, his knees bent and pulled close to his chest. It was only when he felt a small droplet hit the top of his hand when Axel finally looked up, a deep frown forming when he saw the blonde's smeared make up and pathetic pout.

"You're all I have too, you know."

Axel stared at him hard when he whispered that, his own sharp green orbs searching that sky blue, lightened to a nearly translucent and crystal shade from his crying. Somewhere inside, he understood. The redhead nodded soundly, to him, or Roxas, he didn't know. But he swiftly pocketed the broken heal and slid the straps of the shoes to dangle from his arm before he bent down and scooped up the boy, holding him bridal style in his arms.

"Let's just go to my place, alright?" Axel cooed softly, continuing to carry the featherweight boy down the street, almost smiling to himself when he felt the blonde press his nose to his shoulder.

x---X---x

To say the very least, Axel was beyond perplexed. He never had seen Roxas cry before. It just seemed so out of character for him, and he never really got a full explanation as to why. Maybe Roxas simply just considered him a companion and didn't really want to lose him no matter how hard he seemed to be trying to tick him off. But all thought about the situation seemed to be running him in circles, driving him up the wall, and getting him absolutely nowhere. The blonde had calmed since they had gotten to Axel's rather nice apartment, and had determined to shower on the condition he could borrow a shirt and pair of boxers from the redhead.

And so Axel sat upon the couch, repeatedly running his fingers through his hair, staring blankly at his reflection in the screen of the powered off television, sighing and grunting to himself all the same whenever he would feel himself grow more perturbed. Growing weary of his own mindless behavior, he stood and walked to the large glass sliding door that took over one whole side of his apartment, opening it up to the balcony. He loved being high up and being able to see the city, especially when it was night, the buildings glowing dimly for as far as he could see with various coloured lights. It was a peaceful setting, and it had always brought him sense and grounded his mind, made him centered.

He slowly pulled a cigarette from his pocket and lit it before he breathed out the toxic smoke sluggishly, allowing his eyes to shut for a moment. He knew he only had a couple more months before the weather would turn cold and sour, so he savoured every warm summer breeze he could.

"I'm joining you." Always a statement, never a question. Axel looked over his shoulder and offered a small half smile to the blonde, watching as he stepped up beside him and lit a cigarette as well before leaning against the rail.

Silence.

The redhead didn't really feel like patronizing Roxas about smoking again. He figured the kid needed one, and at least he wasn't a chain smoker like he was.

"Why do you always buy this kind?" Roxas sighed out smoke, giving a rather dirty look to the cigarette in his hand.

"Well, if you steal cigarettes out of my coat pockets then you're just going to have to deal with what I've got."

"I guess."

Silence.

"Rox?" he had taken to calling him that name. He found it neutral, and it soothed his own mind. It was neither Roxas or Roxie. In fact, he didn't even _know_ at this point if Roxas _favored_ being female. In all reality, he didn't even know why Roxas had chosen to be a female model in the first place. He could only imagine that there was something screwy going on inside his brain, or some sort of fucked up childhood trauma that caused it, but he never chose to question. Don't ask, don't tell. Another thing their relationship was based on. He debated mentally with himself at times. Over time they had grown to spend far more time together outside of work, neither of them really having friends, and they had both grown to be familiar with one another's living areas, habits, and the like. But Axel always was torn between trying to get to know Roxas better, and simply staying at a distance like they had been. But in a rare occasion like this, when he was feeling blameworthy for what had transpired earlier (though a piece of him still told him Roxas deserved it considering he _did_ give a blowjob to his brother), he thought a little gentleness couldn't hurt.

"Hn?"

"Sorry again about earlier. How're your knees holding up?"

"They're alright. And it's okay. I guess I sort of deserved it." The blonde shrugged, absentmindedly flicking ashes into the night air, his eyes transfixed on the cars moving below.

Axel raised a brow, contemplating for a moment the response he had gotten. So it appeared as though Roxas was feeling a little guilt too, hm?

"Rox… Why did you say what you did earlier?" he felt his chest tighten somewhat. A large majority of him _really_ didn't want to ask that question, and justly didn't want to know the answer. He hated complicating things, and he was sure this little question would, should Roxas choose to answer it. But at the same time, he had let it slip, and he was almost glad he did.

"What'd I say?"

"The whole… You're all I've got too thing."

"Oh."

Great, Roxas was visibly uncomfortable. He could see the boy's shoulders become rigid as he now stared impassively and motionless at the smoke drifting up in a thin, billowing trail from his cigarette.

"I don't know. Because it's true I guess."

"That I'm all you've got?"

"Well isn't that obvious? I don't have any friends. Life's too hectic for that. Even before I became a model, I never really had friends or anything. I can depend on you. I know you won't let me down. I trust you completely with all of my secrets, and… Well. That's just how it is."

"… Is it a bad thing that I'm the one you've got?"

"I don't think so."

"So do you consider us friends?" it was a genuine question. He always wondered exactly how Roxas viewed him, and he supposed now was a better time than ever to finally get the truth out. The blonde on the other hand, finally turned to face him, giving him another strange and vulnerable look, his brows furrowing.

"Don't you?"

Of course he had to turn the question back on him. In all honesty, Axel had never really considered that question meticulously. In fact, he got through most days mentally demeaning the other's ridiculous and flirtatious behavior in his head simply to find some sort of sick and twisted peace with their interaction. But now that he really had to think it through, he couldn't refute that there was a part of him that viewed Roxas in a fond light, and should it ever come down to it, he would protect the blonde ferociously with all he had.

"Yeah. I do."

"Well. I do too." A authentic smile. Axel chuckled softly at that look but couldn't help but truly smile back as well before he turned his gaze out towards the city again, lighting another cigarette. He didn't know why, but that little exchange of words had brought him more stress than he imagined it would.

Roxas finished his own cigarette and watched it fall from their tall balcony with an amused smile before he turned to the redhead, now resting his back to the railing. "Hey, Ax."

Axel looked over at him in a questioning manner, choosing to open up to Roxas more through physical action, rotating his whole body to face him. If they were friends, he might as well start treating him more like one.

"Give me a kiss."

"What the fuck, why?" Axel scoffed, nearly laughing at the oddity of the request.

"Because I haven't gotten laid, and that's mainly thanks to you, you ass, and I think I could at least use a kiss right now. Besides, I want to get the Reno out of my mouth." He stuck his tongue out slightly before winking with a laugh.

Axel rolled his eyes before standing up more straight, "I don't see how this is _my_ fault, but why the hell not, I guess."

Roxas seemed pleased with his response and stepped closer as well, sliding up onto his toes and wrapping his arms about the redhead's neck, closing his eyes as Axel drew nearer.

Soft contact. Not so forceful, not long lasting. Just a brief, chaste, warm kiss. Something neither had experienced with one another. Almost like a mutual apology between lovers. But lovers, they were not.

"Now make me some dinner, stud~!" The blonde grinned widely again, regaining his usual air of pompousness before turning on his heal and practically prancing back into the apartment with a swagger, flopping lazily onto the couch. Axel almost felt as though he had just committed to something awful he would regret.

_Nah. Rox really isn't that awful._ _Whoa. A nice thought about the kid. Progress, I guess._

Axel grumbled and stuck his cigarette into the ashtray before walking back in as well, closing only the screen to keep fresh air moving through the apartment as he made his way over to the kitchen.

"And what the hell makes you think I can cook? And why the fuck would I _want_ to!?"

"Well you're walkin' there, so you're agreeing! Shut up and get to it, woman!"

At least Roxas sounded in better shape than he was before. Axel even managed a laugh at that, shaking his head as he went about preparing _something_. He could only hope that agreeing to being Roxas' friend and talking to him on a more serious and non professional level wouldn't open a can of worms he wanted no involvement in.

"Keep that shit up, and I'll beat you after dinner, ya little bitch."

"I'll bite your dick off in your sleep!"

"Honestly, Rox. Can you stop with the dick threats? It makes me hurt."

"I threaten because it's what's going to happen if you keep your shit up."

"Shut up."

x---X---x

Thought I'd throw in some relationship development because things start going to shit in some ways! Don't hate me, haha.

Don't litter, don't smoke~! That is all.


End file.
